2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Arkansas
[Criminal Justice Studies](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong criminal justice studies education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value criminal justice studies schools.
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2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Arkansas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools
Phillips Community College Of The University Of Arkansas earned the #1 spot for value among criminal justice studies schools in Arkansas. Set in the town of Helena, Phillips Community College Of The University Of Arkansas is a small public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,380, with out-of-state students paying around $4,550. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $5,500. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $45,190. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northwest Arkansas Community College earned it the #2 place for criminal justice studies. Located in the city of Bentonville, Northwest Arkansas Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,342, compared with $5,238 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $12,479 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Northwest Arkansas Community College generally make around $40,671. That is a strong return on a $12,479 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice studies will find it at East Arkansas Community College, which ranked #3. East Arkansas Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Forrest City. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,300, while out-of-state students pay about $4,380. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $8,110 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $42,134. That is a strong return on a $8,110 median debt.
Arkansas Tech University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice studies, landing the #4 spot this year. Arkansas Tech University is a large public school located in the town of Russellville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,674, compared with $14,668 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $25,785 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $35,642. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Arkansas Tech University admits about 96% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Arkansas At Pine Bluff earned it the #5 place for criminal justice studies. University Of Arkansas At Pine Bluff is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Pine Bluff. Students from in state pay about $9,375 in tuition and fees, compared with $17,955 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $27,000. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of University Of Arkansas At Pine Bluff earn a median of $35,532 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. University Of Arkansas At Pine Bluff admits about 41% of applicants.
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus placed #6 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Set in the town of Magnolia, Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,960, with out-of-state students paying around $15,690. Students borrow a median of $22,349 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $28,541. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus admits about 75% of applicants.
University Of Arkansas At Little Rock earned the #7 position for value in criminal justice studies this year. Located in the city of Little Rock, University Of Arkansas At Little Rock is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,911 in tuition and fees, compared with $22,721 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $30,026. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of University Of Arkansas At Little Rock earn a median of $40,989 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $30,026 median debt. The acceptance rate is 59%.
University Of Arkansas placed #8 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Set in the city of Fayetteville, University Of Arkansas is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,104 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $29,966. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $25,385 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of University Of Arkansas earn a median of $38,083 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,385 median debt. University Of Arkansas admits about 74% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
